Hunt could be on fast track for football after college

The offensive fireworks apparently missed the cutoff to Aloha Stadium. Thanks to the SMU defense for bringing at least some excitement to the Hawaii Bowl.

Admit it. You were like me, nodding off by the end of the first quarter. But then it looked like the Fresno State guys who were supposed to be blocking Mustangs defensive lineman Margus Hunt were snoozing, too.

Everyone woke up real quick when this giant toddler-stage football player from Estonia turned the Bulldogs backfield into his personal playground. The 6-foot-8, 275-pound behemoth and the rest of the defense led SMU to a 43-10 romp.

It’s not often when you can say June Jones’ defense outscored the opposition all by itself. But that’s the kind of team SMU had this year, and the University of Hawaii’s winningest coach came away with a big victory with his Mustangs as a Hawaii Bowl underdog for the second time in four years.

Fresno State couldn’t keep Hunt off Derek Carr, and that keyed the onslaught. Three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a partridge in a pear tree. All that, plus three tackles for loss, a safety, and the Player of the Game trophy.

He made it look easy, too. Jones said Hunt’s big plays didn’t come on max blitzes.

“We had a little bit of a four-man rush, he isolated on a tackle or a guard. It was a three-man rush on the one in the end zone,” said Jones, who also credited defensive coordinator Tom Mason for a stellar game plan. “(Hunt is) a load and he’s got leverage and learning to play the game.”

Four years ago, Hunt was throwing around metal implements, not opposing quarterbacks. He was a world junior record holder in the discus and had his sights set on the 2012 Olympics. That’s why he was at SMU, to train under Mustangs coach Dave Wollman.

But, as at many other college campuses, men’s track and field ceased to be at SMU. In order for Hunt to remain in Dallas and continue in school he’d have to do something else. Wollman suggested Jones take a look at him … maybe he could get a scholarship for a sport he’d never played, football.

Wollman had heard of Jones’ willingness to put pads on non-football athletes and see what happens.

“I worked him out, ran him, talked with him,” Jones said. “You guys know I’ve taken chances on guys like him before. It was not hard to see, a world-class athlete like that, I could teach him how to play football.”

Hunt, an affable sort off the field, answered the toughness question early on. He said he quickly grew to love football, and felt no regret while watching the Olympics last summer.

“Everyone’s complaining, I just ran around the locker room, ‘This is fun’. It was all new to me,” Hunt said. “I’m just excited to play this game.”

Of course it helps when you’re bigger and stronger than just about everyone else. But Hunt has put in the work.

Mel deLaura, the strength coach at SMU who filled a similar role at UH during Jones’ nine-year run as head coach here, said Hunt “worked his (butt) off four years” in the weight room.

Hunt said he was able to beat the Fresno State linemen so easily because he spent most of the long flight from Dallas looking at video of the Bulldogs’ tendencies.

NFL scouts will be doing the same with tape of Hunt as the draft approaches. Owning the NCAA record with 17 career blocked kicks won’t hurt his stock.

“Six years ago I said I want to be in the 2012 Olympics. But things change. I’m proud of this and happy. We’ll see how it works out,” Hunt said. “I haven’t done track and field for two years. This is what’s on my plate right now.”

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.